Paul J. Spaeth

Academic Profile

B.A. Houghton College. (1974) [Major: Classics ; Minor: English]

M.L.S. State Univ. of New York at Buffalo. School of Information and Library Science. (1976)

M.A. St. Bonaventure University. Franciscan Institute (1987)

[Thesis: St. Bonaventure's Collationes De Decem Praeceptis: Translation with Introduction and Notes]

Professional Work Experience

St. Bonaventure University Library.

Director of the Library (June 1993‑present)

Special Collections Librarian (1985-present)

Director of Technical Services (June 1980-June 1998)

Liberty Baptist Seminary. Director of the Library (March 1977‑May 1980)

Edited Books

Mogador's Book / by Robert Lax. Zurich: Pendo, 1992.

27th & 4th / by Robert Lax. Exeter, England: Stride, 1994.

Journal E. Tagebuch E (Hollywood Journal) / by Robert Lax. Zurich: Pendo, 1996.

A Thing That Is / by Robert Lax. New York: Overlook, 1997.

Circus Days and Nights / by Robert Lax. New York: Overlook, 2000.

Translated Books

St. Bonaventure's Collations on the Ten Commandments. St. Bonaventure, NY: Franciscan Institute, 1995.

(Works of Saint Bonaventure ; 6)

Exhibition Catalogs

A Century of Gathering: The Rare Book and Manuscript Collection of St. Bonaventure University. 1998.

Publications in Journals and Books

"St. Bonaventure's Collations on the Ten Commandments. Collation I: On the Four Motives for Observing Divine

Commandments and the Decalog in General" in The Cord 38 (April 1988) 112‑123.

"Incunabula of the Franciscan Institute and St. Bonaventure University" in Franciscan Studies 50 (1990) 405-481.

"A Priest in the Woods: The Journal of Fr. Adrianus Dominicus Godthardt, O.F.M., 1848‑1850"

in Wisconsin Magazine of History 72 (Winter 1991/2) 117‑140.

"History of the Franciscan Institute Library" in Franciscan Studies 51 (1991) 69-82.

"Remembering Merton and New York" / by Robert Lax. in The Merton Annual 5 (1992) 39-61.

"Dealing with Texts (Run To the Mountain: A Review Symposium)" in The Merton Seasonal 20:4 (1995) 13-15.

“A Selectively Exhaustive Chronology of Robert Lax, 1915-1996” and “Robert Lax: An Overview of His Life and

Writing” in The ABCs of Robert Lax / edited by David Miller and Nicholas Zurbrugg. Exeter, England: Stride, 1999. (p.56-63, 117-131)

“The Road to Simplicity Followed by Merton’s Friends: Ad Reinhardt and Robert Lax” in The Merton Annual

13 (2000) 245-256.

“Writing for Writing’s Sake: An Interview with Paul Spaeth” in The Merton Seasonal 26:1 (Spring 2001) 15-19.

“Memoirs of a Mentor” (review of The Way of the Dreamcatcher / by Steve Georgiou) in The Merton Seasonal 27:3

(2002) 31-32. [reprinted in Vallum 2:1 (2003) 58-60]

Local History

"St. Bonaventure University: The Building of the Library Collection ‑ The Major Collectors and Benefactors" in

Provincial Annals (Holy Name Province) 38 (1989) 72‑80.

History of Hillside Wesleyan Church, 1892‑1992. Olean, NY: By the Church, 1992.

"Olean Church History: The First One Hundred Years, 1800‑1900" in Olean Times Herald March 7, 14, 21, 28 and

April 4, 11, 1992.

"Olean's Religious Roots Run 184 Years Deep" in Olean Times Herald March 31, 1993.

[Edited from series of articles published in 1992]

Courses Taught

Historical Methodology and Bibliography

(Franciscan Studies 500 ; 1986-1993)

The Inklings: C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and Charles Williams

(Honors 116 ; Fall 1996 [co-taught], Fall 2001, Fall 2003, Fall 2004)

The Film: History and Aesthetics

(Honors 133 ; Spring 1998 [co-taught], Spring 2002 [co-taught])

The Cinema of Stanley Kubrick

(Honors 122 ; Fall 1999 [co-taught])

Cinema and Religion

(Honors 130 ; Fall 2000 [co-taught])

Thomas Merton & Robert Lax: The New York Years

(Chautauqua Institute ; 8/5/02-8/9/02 [co-taught])

World Views: Chinese and Japanese Culture Through Film and Literature

(Clare 108 ; Spring 2003)

The Film: Crime, The Cinema and the Problem of Evil

(Honors 133 ; Spring 2004 [co-taught])

20^th Century American History and Film

(History 494 ; Spring 2004 [co-taught])

Lectures

“Robert Lax”

(Curator's Choice lecture at Burchfield Art Center, Buffalo, NY, December 1990)

“Robert Lax Symposium”

(Moderator & one of five presenters. Plenary session of the conference of the International Thomas Merton Society at St. Bonaventure University, Summer 1995)

“Rare Books”

(Church and Synagogue Library Association at Houghton College, Summer 1995)

“The Road to Simplicity Followed by Merton’s Friends: Ad Reinhardt and Robert Lax”

(International Thomas Merton Society at St. Jerome’s College, University of Waterloo, Canada, Summer 1999)

“Tolkien & the Lord of the Rings: The Rest of the Story”

(State University of New York College at Fredonia. Intervarsity Fellowship, November 2002)

“Tolkien & the Lord of the Rings: The Rest of the Story”

(Olean Public Library, December 2002)

“Rare Books and Archives”

Library Directors Caucus of the Western New York Library Resources Council. Trocaire College, Sept. 2003)

“Tolkien & the Lord of the Rings: The Rest of the Story”

(Gannon University. Department of English, October 2003)

Campus Talks at St. Bonaventure University

“St. Bonaventure University Library: The Building of the Collection - The Major Benefactors and Collectors”

(Faculty Forum. Fall 1988)

“Robert Lax”

(Faculty Forum. Fall 1989)

“Olean Church History: The First One Hundred Years, 1800‑1900”

(Faculty Forum. Fall 1991)

“A Century of Gathering; The History of the Rare Book Collection at St. Bonaventure University”

(Faculty Forum. Fall 1996)

“Panel Discussion on Rare Books”

(Quick Art Center. Fall 1996)

“What Makes a Rare Book Rare?”

(Catholic Library Association of Western New York. May 2003)

“Tolkien & the Lord of the Rings: The Rest of the Story”

(Faculty Forum. October 2003)

Major Displays Curated

“A Century of Gathering; The Rare Book Collection of St. Bonaventure University”

(Art gallery display of over 90 items, co-curated with Br. David Haack, in the Quick Art Center of St. Bonaventure University, Fall 1996)